Brake shoe structure



June 13, 1933. c. w. ARMBRUST BRAKE SHOE STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 21, 1931Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES CHARLES W. ARMBRUST, OF MIDDLETOWN,NEW YORK BRAKE SHOE STRUCTURE Application filed December 21, 1931.Serial No 582,271.

My invention relates to brake shoe structures for railway car brakes andthe like.

It is the principal purpose of this invention to provide a brake shoe inwhich the wearing portion of the shoe is divided into two sections orcastings at the point of connection to the brake head and in which thetwo sections are then connected by means of a steel lug or lugs whichare molded or otherwise securely mounted in the sections.

More particularly it is a purpose of this invention to provide atwo-piece type of shoe with a steel reenforcing back which also connectstogether the two sections of a shoe so that the same may be handled as aunit.

My invention contemplates also the spacing of the half shoes or sectionsapart by a steel lug or steel back so that they may settle back againstthe four prongs of the brake head thus taking the strain ofi' of theshoe and putting it squarely on the brake head where it belongs.

Furthermore, it is a purpose of this invention to provide in a brakeshoe assembly utilizing two castings or halves connected together bysteel lugs or other sufliciently elastic means a novel connectingstructure whereby a partially worn out shoe may be connected directlyinto the face of a new shoe so as to provide an interlocking brake shoeunit made up of a pair of brake shoes.

I will describe the preferred form of my invention by reference to theaccompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a side view of a brake shoemounted on a brake head illustrating a simple form of a two-piece brakeshoe;

Fig. 2 is a side view illustrating another form of brake shoe providedwith transverse key leaves by means of which a pair of shoes may bekeyed together;

Fig. 3 is a side view partly in section illustrating the interlocking ofa worn out shoe with a new shoe of the split type.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 illustrates theusual brake head having the :tour prongs 6, 7 8, and 9 which are adaptedto engage against the hack of a brake shoe 10 and hold the same so thatit can be pressed against the wheel of a car or other vehicle. The brakehead is keyed to the brake shoe by means of. a locking key 11 through"the central holding lug portion 12.

Suitable guide lugs at 13' and 14 serve to properly position the shoe onthe brake head.

The shoe 10, as shown, is made up of a pair of castings or halves 15 and16 which halves each contain a half of the central lug 12 and which areseparated a small distance as indicated at 17 so as to permit them tosettle back solidly against the prongs of the brake head. These castings15 and 16 are connected by means of the steel reenforcing lug or plate18 which, as shown, extends down through the sections of the central lugand into the base of each half of the shoe as indicated at 19 and 20.,This steel lug serves as an efficient means for connecting the twohalves together so that they may be handled as a single unit at alltimes. However, owing to its elasticity and the fact that it slightlyspaces the two halves, this steel lug permits relative movement of onehalf to the other in order that they may adjust themselves upon thebrake head prongs and thus prevent unnatural strain upon the castings.

In Fig. 2, the same brake shoe 10 is shown as provided with a socket asindicated at 21, and the adjacent ends of the two sections 15 and 16'are slotted transversely as indicated at 22 and 23 so as to receive atransversely extending key to lock two similar shoes together in amanner much like that shown in Fig. 3. It is understood, of course, thatthe central lug 12 of this shoe as well as the central lug 12 in theshoe shown in Fig. 1 is properly apertured to receive the key 11 forsecuring the shoe to the brake head.

Referring now to Fig. 3, in this figure I show the shoe 25 as providedwith a steel reenforcing backing 26 which also connects the two sections27 and 28 to each other at the center lug spacing the two sections apartas indicated at 29. A worn shoe 30 of duplicate construction is shown asmounted on the face of shoe 25 which is provided with a recess asindicated at 31 to receive the central lug of the shoe 30. The shoes 25and 30 may be held together by the transverse key as indicated at 32 orby means of the lugs or projections 33 and 34 extending into theapertures or seats provided for the brake head key on the worn out shoe30 or both of these methods of fastening may be used if desired.

By virtue of the elasticity or flexibility of the steel connectingmember 26 which connects the two sections 27 and 28, these two sectionsmay be spread apart by rocking them back in the direction indicated bythe arrows in Fig. 8 thus making the gap between them at -a- (shown inFig. 3) wider on the side opposite the connecting web 35 of the steelmember 26. This spread can readily be made sufficient to permit theinsertion of the worn out shoe 30 between the lugs 33 and 34, and then,when the two halves of shoe 25 are returned to their normal position,the lugs will engage in the apertures provided in shoe 30 and thus lockthe two shoes together.

By this construction, I am able to obtain the advantages of aninterlocking shoe in a two-piece casting type of shoe made integral inmolding with no extra construction or parts needed other than theconnecting steel lug or strap 35 or I could cast in the mold steel lugsfor the same purpose.

It isbelieved to be obvious from the above description that variousminor modifications may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention as defined by the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a new brake shoe consisting of two half shoesconnected together .and spaced apart by a flexible integral reenforcingback, each half shoe having one or more sockets in its face andcorresponding lugs on its back, each half shoe being so cut away at itsadjoining edge as together to form a socket in the center of thecomplete shoe, and a worn brake shoe of similar construction fitted intothe receiving sockets of said first mentioned brake shoe by flexing thetwo halves of said first mentioned brake shoe apart and then backtogether so that the second mentioned brake shoe is interlocked therein,and suitable complementary key and slot means on the brake shoesinterengaging to secure the two shoes together.

2. A brake shoe combination consisting of two half shoes each having aportion of a holding lug on its back and the two halves when placed endto end providing a socket opposite the holding lug to receive thecorresponding holding lug of a similar shoe, a connecting means linkingsaid holding lug portions together for swinging movement of said halvesto open said socket, a second shoe having a holding lug seated in saidsocket,

cooperating projections and seats on the in terfitting portions of saidshoes normally locking the shoes together, said projections and seatsbeing separable by swinging movement of said half shoes to spread saidsocket.

3. A brake shoe assembly whereby two integral brake shoes may be lockedtogether face to back to prevent longitudinal and sidewise displacementtherebetween comprising two brake shoes, one consisting of two endportions swingingly united, and interlocking means consisting ofcomplementary interfitting portions upon the respective shoes, and saidswinging mounting permitting spreading of one shoe to receive the other.

i. A brake shoe assembly whereby two integral brake shoes may be lockedtogether face to back to prevent longitudinal and side wise displacementtherebetween comprising two brake shoes, each consisting of two endportions swingingly united, and interlocking means consisting ofcomplementary interlitting portions upon the respective shoes, and saidswinging mounting permitting spreading of one shoe to receive the other.

5. A brake shoe assembly whereby two integral brake shoes may be lockedtogether face to back to prevent longitudinal and sidewise displacementtherebetween comprising two brake shoes each being an integral structureand one shoe consisting of two end portions connected together forangular move.- ment relative to each other, complementary projectionsand sockets on the respective shoes provided with complementary lockingportions interengageable by swinging said end portions out of normalposition.

6. A brake shoe assembly whereby two in tegral brake shoes may be lockedtogether face to back to prevent longitudinal and sidewise displacementtherebetween comprising two brake shoes each being an integral structureand one shoe consisting of two end portions connected together forangular movement relative to each other, complementary projections andsocketson the respective shoes provided with complementary lockingportions interengageable by swinging said end portions out of normalposition, and a bral e head receiving said shoes and securing said endportions in normal position.

7. A brake shoe combination comprising a pair of shoes each made up oftwo end portions connected together at their backs for relative angularmovement in a plane vertical to the wearing face of the shoe, each ofsaid shoes having a projecting holding portion where the end portionsjoin for receiving the holding portion of a similar shoe, said recessand holding portion having cooperating projections and seatsinterengageable for looking the shoes together by angularly moving atthe back and having a recess at the front-= .9

8. A brake shoe structure whereby two integral brake shoes may be lockedtogether face to back to prevent-longitudinal and sidewise displacementeach brake shoe having 5 integral therewith complementary portionsadapted to interlock with the complementary portions of the other shoefor locking them together and preventing sidewise or lengthwisedisplacement thereof.

19 In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 4th day ofDecember, A. D.

CHARLES W. ARMBRUST.

